Simple Random Sample (SRS) (eHRAF World Cultures)

In a Simple Random Sample (SRS), all cases from a list have an equal chance of being chosen. As of September 1, 2016 there are 28 societies chosen by simple random sampling from a list of over 2,000 cultures. In contrast to the Probability Sample Files, the list is not stratified by geographical criteria and a culture does not have to have a certain amount of pages of ethnography. However, we only include a culture if it has at least the equivalent of one comprehensive ethnography.

For eHRAF World Cultures, the SRS is randomly sampled from a list of cultures compiled from 8 different cross-cultural samples (Ember et al. 1992. Computerized Concordance of Cross-Cultural Samples. New Haven: Human Relations Area Files).

This table shows all the cultures in the Simple Random Sample:

SEQ

REGION

SUBREGION

CULTURE

OWC

SUBSISTENCE TYPE

1

Africa

Eastern Africa

Ganda

FK07

intensive agriculturalists

2

South America

Amazon and Orinoco

Tukano

SQ19

other subsistence combinations

3

Africa

Southern Africa

Lakeshore Tonga

FR07

other subsistence combinations

4

North America

Northwest Coast and California

Pomo

NS18

hunter-gatherers

5

Asia

East Asia

Okinawans

AC07

intensive agriculturalists

6

North America

Northwest Coast and California

Quinault

NR17

hunter-gatherers

7

Middle America and the Caribbean

Maya Area

Maya (Yucatán Peninsula)

NV10

horticulturalists

8

Asia

Southeast Asia

Mentawaians

OD09

horticulturalists

9

North America

Plains and Plateau

Assiniboine

NF04

hunter-gatherers

10

Oceania

Melanesia

Malekula

OO12

horticulturalists

11

Africa

Eastern Africa

Nuer

FJ22

agro-pastoralists

12

North America

Northwest Coast and California

Yokuts

NS29

hunter-gatherers

13

South America

Amazon and Orinoco

Shipibo

SE26

horticulturalists

14

Asia

Southeast Asia

Rungus Dusun

OC13

horticulturalists

15

Africa

Southern Africa

Ovimbundu

FP13

horticulturalists

16

Asia

South Asia

Bengali

AW69

intensive agriculturalists

17

Africa

Eastern Africa

Bena

FN31

horticulturalists

18

Africa

Eastern Africa

Banyoro

FK11

horticulturalists

19

Europe

Southeastern Europe

Greeks

EH01

intensive agriculturalists

20

Africa

Western Africa

Igbo

FF26

horticulturalists

21

North America

Northwest Coast and California

Yuki

NS30

hunter-gatherers

22

North America

Northwest Coast and California

Chinookans of the Lower Columbia River

NR06

hunter-gatherers

23

North America

Southwest and Basin

Zia Pueblo

NT38

intensive agriculturalists

24

Africa

Eastern Africa

Bagisu

FK13

horticulturalists

25

Europe

Scandinavia

Icelanders

EQ01

other subsistence combinations

26

North America

Arctic and Subarctic

Alutiiq

NA10

hunter-gatherers

27

Africa

Eastern Africa

Gusii

FL08

horticulturalists

28

Asia

South Asia

Tamil

AW16

intensive agriculturalists

Related Links

Excel format: A comprehensive list of the 28 culture names from the Simple Random Sample (SRS) currently included in the eHRAF World Cultures database. The excel format also includes sequence and installment numbers, OWC codes, region coverage (including subregions), date coverage (beginning and ending dates for cultural materials), subsistence and the PSF sample type. The sequence numbers for each culture name make the excel table useful for generating a random sample from eHRAF. Visit the Cross-Cultural Research section to learn more about random sampling.